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One More Thing To Do With Your Bike: Empowering Customers With Simple Bike Maintenance Skills

One More Thing To Do With Your Bike: Empowering Customers With Simple Bike Maintenance Skills. What I learned about customers of all levels of interests, skills 1. Genuine excitement to be playing with their bikes – they turn into kids! 2. Genuine excitement to use and accumulate tools

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One More Thing To Do With Your Bike: Empowering Customers With Simple Bike Maintenance Skills

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  1. One More Thing To Do With Your Bike: Empowering Customers With Simple Bike Maintenance Skills

  2. What I learned about customers of all levels of interests, skills • 1. Genuine excitement to be playing with their bikes – they turn into kids! • 2. Genuine excitement to use and accumulate tools • 3. A totally open ear to hear every bit of tech, advice, experiences, anecdotes – ANYTHING • 4. They become different people when they’re being empowered and involved

  3. What I learned about bicycle culture • 1. Wow do people love their bikes, and they take even more pride in them when they can work on them - they become “bike whisperers” • 2. Regardless of skill or history with bikes, classes level the playing field and make conversation easy • 3. Everybody has shared experiences in one way or another on bikes • 4. Pretty rare that bikes don’t make people smile especially when they’re not afraid of them anymore

  4. What I saw in myself, customers, and co-workers (mutual admiration, respect, and gratitude, new friendships and loyalty) • 1. I saw myself and my knowledge as genuinely useful and appreciated • 2. I let go of the belief that my knowledge had to be protected or I’d teach myself out of a job (We all need to give ourselves more credit than that! Our depth of skill can’t be taught in 4 hours) • 3. I took a lot of pride in MY SHOP’S willingness to empower people as I saw first-hand how much it was appreciated, how much more comfortable customers felt, and how much more fun it was to see customers and staff interact in a deeper more mutually respectful way

  5. What myths were dispelled about “annoying” customers and why a staff with huge egos is stalling your progress • 1. They generally have the same curiosity about their machines that brought you to the shop • 2. Their way of “showing it” might be just different but definitely not wrong – THINK OUTSIDE YOUR CONTEXT • 3. When you take the time to understand this, they’re not “annoying” anymore • 4. Engaging them practical and efficient problem solving often makes the “bad” behavior go away – and you can play a part in getting them on the right path and forge a quality relationship • 5. Word gets out pretty quick that “such and such” shop is elitist and it’s a hard image to shake. Even if you want to be a highly specialized shop, many of the customers that became “pro-enthusiasts” had cheap bikes and limited skills before they got that way

  6. What you need to teach the classes

  7. Time • 1. 4 to 12 hours a month depending on what or how often you’d like to teach • 2. Basics and Wheels classes are 4 hours, split in two parts, Comprehensive is 8 hours split in 4 • 3. Usually did them in the last two hours of operation during the week – off season it’s slow enough • 4. In some cases did them WHILE still manning the counters, getting students involved in writing service when relevant – customers usually loved it and it shows your passion for bikes and bike people

  8. Space – current or new, in season and off season (inside or outside) • 1. It can work quite easily in an existing service department • 2. I’ve done it with one stand, one set of tools, and 4 people just taking turns with the stand when necessary – it just adds time

  9. Most Basic Tools Suggested For The Basic Curriculum - Per Student(used in addition to your current tool inventory) • 2 TL7421 – Park DCW-4 Double Ended Cone Wrench – 13 and 15mm $2.55 • 1 TL8300 – MW-SET.2 Metric Wrench Set $41.38 • 2 TL2908 – Williams 17mm Combo Wrench $13.50 • 1 TL7077 – SW2C – Park Red Spoke Wrench $3.83 • 1 TL7075 – SW0C – Park Black Spoke Wrench $3.83 • 1 TL7008 – AWS1 – Park Color Coded y Hex Wrench $4.69 • 1 TL7011 – AWS3 – Park Y Hex Wrench $4.47 • 1 TL7005 – BT-2 Park Cable Puller $24.71 • 1 TL8328 – Park SD-SET Shop Screwdriver Set $9.38 • Total $124.81 • X 4 Students $499.24 • Cost for 1 mechanic at $15 an hour to teach a 4 hour class - $60.00

  10. it’ll cost about $560 bucks to teach the first Basic Maintenance Course, $500.00 of which covers the one-time fee for the tools you’ll use for future courses. 4 Students at $60 a class $240 So in 3 courses, the tools will be paid for and you’ll already have 12 extra customers that are more Excited about, and loyal to your store. Not to mention their increased enthusiasm about their bikes, an increased interest in making their bikes work better or make improvements to them, and a decreased fear to ride farther more safely.

  11. Wheel with mounted tire • Tire levers • Pump • Co2 • Patch kits • Types of bearings – loose, caged, sealed bearing • Types of axles – threaded, cones, stepped for sealed • Types of hubs – cups, sealed bearing • 13s, 15s, 17mm open end wrenches • The handout • Threaded fork, threadless fork • Quill stem, threadless stem • Threadless headset, threaded, STAR NUT • Cartridge bottom bracket, loose ball • All things that can be taken from repairs or old inventory or OFF the floor • Truing stand • Prop wheels (x however many students you are set up for) • Spoke wrenches • Dishing tool • Types of cables and housing with cut away sheathing • Road lever, mtb lever • Canti, v-brake, road caliper • Front derailleur, rear derailleur • Damaged frame and fork with evidence of flaking paint at the headtube • Cleaning kits • Make a “kit” for your classes where everything can be kept together

  12. Curriculum – why it works – not too much information, easily digestible, easily translates between bikes of all price ranges and types • 1. Getting too technical defeats the purpose • 2. Stick to pressure on/off bearings, hands vs. springs, straight wheels, and safe riding • 3. Keep track of how much and how many people want to get “deeper” and take the opportunity to teach highly focused classes on specific subjects (Let your shop experts really show off expertise – never ending opportunities to keep people coming into the store)

  13. Willing staff • 1. Easy to teach, chance to really meet your customers, chance to share expertise, chance to empower. • 2. A good mechanic is not necessarily a teacher that can connect, motivate, and teach. You need good EQ skills here. But more times than not, it’s realized pretty quickly that it’s fun and easy to do.

  14. How The Classes Go • Set up your tools and have your printed materials ready • 2 hour sessions • Get a consensus of what people really want to take away (sometimes you can skip flat fixes for example if everyone’s already had experience) • Pace and flexibility depends on the make-up of the class – (All roadies? Maybe show how to tape bars, etc) • Take advantage of pointing out worn or unsafe parts – time to sell!

  15. Have the tools used in class in stock and ready to Sell Package discounts Have pre-packaged tool kits with your store logo for example HAVE THE Park Tool BBB-3: Big Blue Book Bicycle Repair and Maintenance Guide IN STOCK - A VERY EASY SELL

  16. What to charge for the classes • 1. $60 to $110 based on the class – (wheel building, basics, and comp) • 2. It’s a good idea for wheel classes to have all materials necessary ordered at least two weeks before class starts. Offering to help select parts and measure spokes just builds anticipation and enthusiasm

  17. How to market the classes • Be ready! Do run through classes with your staff and let them tell customers how helpful it was, and suggest it along with new bike sales • Contact local bicycle clubs • Have a store facebook page • Good old fashioned posters where bicycle riders congregate • Universities and libraries, along bike paths • Make it visible –many people will sign up by asking “What are you guys doing?”

  18. Have a grand opening party with a schedule available for sign up Build a portable school! Bring classes TO people if space AND OR TIME is an issue • 1. Incorporate local food and brew that will bring in fans of said food and brew and turn them into students. • 2. Have activities like roller sprints, mountain bike drag racing, etc. • 3. Offer a basic tool kit raffle. • 4. Highlight your happy staff and the uniqueness of your store.

  19. After the classes • Maintain a log of all participants with email and phone information • Leave space for notes about students that may provide opportunities to keep the conversation going – specific interests, wants, issues – bike related or otherwise • Stay in touch! Make a point to ask how a ride they maybe talked about went • Invite students to future events like product launches, sales, rides, movie nights, etc. Let them be “back-up voice” about how cool your shop is during events or whenever possible • Let them feel like they are the farm team

  20. So let’s talk.msirek@qbp.comExt 1696

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